Grenade mortar and adapter



Jan. 18, 1949. oss I 2,459,182

GRENADE MORTAR AND ADAPTER Filed Sept. 2'7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOSIAH ROSS I ATTORNEYS Jan. 18, 1949.

J. ROSS GRENADE MORTAR AND ADAPTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 1945 INVENTOR. JOSIAH ROSS A T TORNE Y5 Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE amended April 30, 1928;

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to grenade mortars and more particularly to a mortar adapted to propel a standard hand grenade equipped with a simple adapter device.

A main object of this invention is to provide a light, compact mortar for propelling a modified standard hand grenade, which can be rapidly set up and which is capable of rapid firing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a light, compact, grenade mortar of extremely simple construction and which has a 360 radius of action.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a mortar projectile adapted from a standard hand grenade and capable of being fired from an appropriate mortar by the explosion of a standard cartridge inserted in the mortar in a novel manner.

Further objects will appear from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a, grenade mortar employing a standard hand grenade in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view in cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top view of a grenade adapter according to this invention used with the structure of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modification of a grenade mortar barrel with a grenade, equipped with its adapter, in firing position in the barrel, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of a grenade adapter according to this invention used with the structure of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of an arming clip retainer used on the mortar barrel in accordance with this invention.

Figure 9 is an elevational view of a firing pin used in the structure of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 discloses a mortar as contemplated by this invention with a projectile in position for firing. A substantially fiat plate I supported above the ground by depending triangular side flanges 2 constitutes the main bottom support for, the mortar. Plate I may be square, round, or any other desirable shape. Provided at the central portion of plate I is a hemispherical recess 3, preferably stamped in the plate, which provides a bearing socket for a heavy ball member 4 which is maintained in recess 3 by a ball retainer ring 5 suitably secured of March 3, 1883, as 370 o. G. 757) to plate I. Ball member 4 is provided with a threaded bore which receives the externally threaded lower end of a cylindrical barrel 6.

Barrel 6 is provided with an internal smooth bore adapted to slidably receive a tubular adapter member 1 threaded at its upper end into the rear end of a standard hand grenade 8. Provided at the upper end of adapter tube I are a plurality of L-shaped vanes 8 having short leg portions 9 secured in a suitable manner, as by welding, to the outer upper peripheral surface of tube 1 and projecting radially thereof, and being further formed with longitudinally extending arms I 0 offset from barrel 6 to provide adequate clearance for the insertion of adapter tube 1 into barrel 6. An arming clip retainer II provided with barrel engaging lugs I2 is mounted on the upper portion of barrel 6 with lugs I2 appropriately secured, as by welding, to the barrel. Retainer II is formed with a projecting arm adapt- ,ed. to engage the arming member I3 of grenade 8 while said grenade is in firing position. When the grenade is propelled from barrel 6, the arming member I3 is moved out of engagement with retainer II and is thereby armed in the well known manner.

Positioned at the bottom portion of barrel 6 is a cartridge I I of the rim firing type with the rim thereof in upper position. Barrel 6 is formed with a slightly smaller bor-e at its lower end portion to provide a well means for the possible accumulation of residue from the exploded cartridges. At a position in barrel 6 opposite the rim of cartridge I4 an oblique bore is provided in the barrel wall for a slidable firing pin I5. Pivotally mounted on brackets I6 secured to ball member 4 is a hammer lever I7 provided with a hammer arm I8, biased to striking position with respect to firing pin I5 by heavy coil springs I9. A trigger arm 26 is provided on lever I! for manual retraction of hammer lever I'l into cocked position. Cartridge I4 is fired by pulling back on trigger arm 20 and then releasing said arm, thereby allowing springs I9 to cause hammer arm I8 to strike firing pin I5. The explosion of the cartridge blows adapter tube I, as well as the cartridge case out of barrel 6, thereby propelling grenade 8 and tube 1 toward the target.

A set screw 2| is provided in retainer ring 5 for locking ball member 4 at a desired angular position of the mortar barrel 6. Triangular legs 2 can be forced into the ground to hold plate I in a stationary position.

Referring to Figure 5, a modification of a grenade mortar device is disclosed wherein the same supporting structure and barrel swivelling means are employed as in the embodiment of Fig. 1, but wherein a center fire cartridge is employed to propel the projectile. In this embodiment, a center fire cartridge 22 is loaded into the bottom of barrel 6 in inverted position as shown in Fig. 6.

An adapter grenade, is provided, said tube carryingra vertically slidable firing pin 24 having a head portion 25 slidably fitting the bore of tube 23, and a pointed lower end adapted to be guided by a conically recessed bushing 26 into striking contact with the firing surface of cartridge 22 upon downward movement of pin 24.

Pivotally supported on lugs 21 formed adja-' cent the upper end of tube 23 is a striker arm 28 extending through an opening inthewall oi} tube 23 into overlying relationship with head 25 of firing pin 24 and having an external arm overlying the upper end of a plunger member 29) Plunger member 29 is 'slidably supportedflin a housing to secured to barrel 6, and has a lower extension projecting from the bottom of housing 39 and laterally bent to forma A compression spring 32 within housing 38cc operates with an integral collar plunger member is just below the externally extending end portion of striker member To explode cartridge 22, finger grip 3i is pulled down to the dotted position shown in Figure 6 and thenreleasedl' Plunger 29 will be thrown upwardly by compres sion spring 32 and delivers a forceful impact to striker member 28 which will be transmitted by member 28 to firing pin 2%, driving pin-24 down wardly to explode cartridge 22.

Lugs 21 may be extensions of vane members 34, as shown in Figure 7.

If desired, cartridge 22 may be madean in tegral part of tube 23 or may be secured thereto,

in any well known manner.

Although certain specific embodiments of gre= tube 23 having an upper'th'readed' end for securement to the rear portion of a hand finger grip 3 l'. 1

33 formed on 29 to bias member 29 to a nor mal position wherein the top end of member 29" 4 and spring means carried the outside-of said barrel to enga'ge't-he arming member '0! a grenade placed in said barrel for launching, to hold said grenade in unarmed condition until launched.

3. A renade mortar comprising a groundengaging mount, I a spherical support member carried by said mount, there being a hemispherical depression in "said mount providing a bearing soeketfor said support, a retainer ring on said mount mounting said support for swiveling movement relative to said mount, a launching barrel carried-by said support member and responsive to said swiveling movement, the said barrel being constructed and arranged toengage an invertedself-ejecting explosive cart'rldgeat the end thereof adjacent said support member and to receive a portion of a 'gr'ena'de at its other en'd; manually operable means onsald retainer said barrel toreleasablyengage the arming m'erii ring-to arrest said swiveling movement and lock said barrel in a selected position-relativeto' said mount, spring-urged firing means on said motor toxplode said cartridge, and means carried on her of a grenade received in said; barrel for launching, tohold said grenade-in unarmed con dition until s'aidarming membe'ris released from its'said' engagement with said engaging means" upon 'explosion of said cartridge.-

nade mortars and grenades therefor have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications-within the spirit of in the art. Therefore, it is the invention will occur to those skilled intended that no lim itations be placed on the invention'other than:

as defined by the scope of the appended claims:-

What is claimed is:

l; A grenade mortar comprising alaunching barrel adapted to engage a self-ejectingcar trid-ge, a mount therefor including a supportmember on said mount for elevating and depressing said barrel and to permit traversing thereof, a brake element carried by said support and operatively associated with said elevating and depressing means and said traversing means, means for exploding said cartridge, and means carried on the outside of said barrel-to engage the arming member of a grenade positioned in said barrel for launching whereby said grenadeis held in unarmed condition until launched.

2.. A grenade mortar comprising a groundengaging mount, a spherical support member carried by said mount, said mount being constructed and arranged to provide a hemispherical bearing socket therein for said support them-- ber,a retainer ring carried by said mount mount ing said support relative to said mount, a launching barrel carried by said support member responsive to said" swiveling movement for elevation and depression or traversing thereof, means carried by said retainer ring to arrest said swiveling movement to lock said barrel relative to said mount, means in said barrel to engage an inverted self-ejecting" explosive cartridge in operativeposition; spring urged trigger means to explode said cartridge,

member for swiveling movement 1 gage on the outside of said 4. A grenade mortar and adapter comprising,

in combination, a ground-engaging mount, a supporting member carried on s'aidmount for-swiveling-movement relative thereto; a barrel carried by said support membe'rand responsive to said swiveling, movement, said barrel "being adaptedself-ejecting explosive carto engage an inverted tridgein "the end thereoi'adjacent said support member,- means for tio'n relative-t0 saidmount, firing-means to initiateexplosion j of said cartridge; spring-imeans-g carried by said barrel toengage' the arming-mermberof a grenade to be launched'from sald-barrel,

:an elongated tubular member constructed "and,

arrangedat one-end thereof to en age ahand grenade and said barrel,- the-saidtubular'member beingresponsive to the-explosive force ofsaid' cartridge 'to be propelled from said barrel, and a plurality of longitudinal arms carried on said tubular member adjacent the grenade-engaging endthereof, circumferentially and radially-spaced relative to said tubular membento slidablii en'- barrel.

J'osiAii Ross;

REFERENCES oriiEn' The following references are of i'ecord in' the file of this-patent:

UNITED STATES Primers" arresting said swiveling movement to lock said barrel in a selected zp'osi adapted to be slidably received'in, 

